ARIES for SEEA

ARIES for SEEA is an is an open-source and user-friendly digital tool enabling, for the first time, data and model interoperability to support the compilation of natural capital accounts using SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA), an international standard which was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2021. This application can produce SEEA accounts globally and enable National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to more rapidly produce accounts, as well as to customize them using their own data, making it easier for countries to monitor indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, including those related to the contributions of nature to their economic prosperity and well‑being.

The tool’s low barrier to entry enables the bridging of technical gaps between countries. ARIES combines the use of global data and generalized modelling approaches in data-scarce countries yet is simultaneously able to customize accounts wherever improved data and model resources exist – thus meeting the needs of both countries with limited data who want to compile initial accounts and those capable of more customized SEEA EA approaches.